Just finished 17 days on a bicycle with the last week being an organized ride with concerts every night.
I intended to see 5 of them but long days and heat reduced that to 3, and one of those was cancelled.
Spin Doctors sounded ok and it was fun to hear their hits.
Lynyrd Skynyrd put on a great show with singing mostly by Johnny Van Zant, three guitars (including Rick Medlocke of Blackfoot, Mark "Sparky" Matejka, and Damon Johnson of Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper), Pete Keys on keyboards and drumming by Michael Cartellone (Damn Yankees). The back up singing by Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle was also solid. They played all the favorites and included heartfelt tributes to USA, our military, police, first responders, and all the former band members including recently passed Gary Rossington. The encore of course was Free Bird.
Unfortunately, the Bush concert was cancelled at the last minute due to a storm with high winds.
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Joe Bonamassa 2 weeks ago in Phoenix. It was my first time seeing him, and boy, that man can raise hell with a guitar! Great experience, and well worth the money. Myself and my concert-going buddy were mightily impressed.
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September, Here Come The Mummies.
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Suede and Manic Street Preachers at the Orpheum Theater in Boston, a couple weeks ago. Two classic British bands that play in front of massive crowds in the UK but are hardly known in the USA. The Orpheum was maybe 1/2 full, but what a show!!
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Lots of evocative, excellently played street music on the streets of Greece. Played with dash, style, fun and emotion.
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Last month, Melody Gardot at Yoshis jazz club in Oakland CA.
What a disappointment.
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Robert Plant and Allison Krauss at Marymoor Park in Redmond WA - 8/28/2022.
Excellent show and outdoor venue! An added bonus was Plant and Krauss performing “Rock and Roll”, “The Battle of Evermore” and “When The Levee Breaks” from Led Zeppelin IV.
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Saw Roxy Music in Chicago on Monday. Wonderful show! St. Vincent opened.
Saw Phish last month in Detroit. Also a great show!
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Kansas at Wild Horse Pass Casino in AZ earlier this month. Really good as usual.
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Tonight! 9/24/2022 - Joan Osborne - Ludlow Garage - Cincinnati, Ohio
Wow! Fantastic show! That girl has got "it".
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09 May 2022
Figaro at Vienna State Opera
The orchestra was loud
Bengtsonn was a ravishing Countess
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@rpeluso - I've been experiencing the same thing; so many shows this year that I would have jumped on tickets immediately in another time, I'm just passing on now. Just too wary of a lot of people packed together inside. And I turned 70 last year, so that might be a factor as well.... Not long ago, I'd be good for 30-40 gigs per year.
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Chris Botti at the Ikeda Theater in April. Great acoustics and outstanding performance!
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As sad as this seems, I've come to a realization that I might not be attending many/any live shows again. This from someone who lived for this activity. But the last few years, I have skipped sooo many, including last night, a Malpass Brothers show. Maybe its because I'm old, maybe its because I don't enjoy going alone much any longer, maybe its because I have become accustomed to staying ut the last few years with the viral pandemic. The last 10 or 15 shows for which I have had tickets, I mostly skipped. At last the artists received my ticket proceeds?
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Little Feat at the Beacon a few weeks ago. They recreated Waiting for Columbus.
A week prior we saw Molly Tuttle in a small church in Montclair. That woman can really play.
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Paul McCartney last week (06/16) in New Jersey, MetLife stadium. Springsteen and Bon Jovi showed up to pay their respects to Paul as he turned 80 last Saturday.
More than a concert, this was a spiritual event (for me at least). I had never seen the Beatles and am a huge fan. My expectations were muted as hey, the guy is 80 years old.
Best and most fun concert that I can remember. I felt like a teenager. I'm keeping my MetLife green security wristband :-).
Next week is Steely Dan.
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6/18/2022 - Govt Mule - Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
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Last night - Thursday 6/16/2022 - Steely Dan - Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati
Took my 18 year old son to see Steely Dan (Donald Fagen and Co.). My son has somehow become a big fan and says it's his favorite band. Can't fault him for that! We bought tickets day of show through Stubhub and got GREAT seats, about 10 rows from the front, center section, and got them for about 30% less than face value.
Show was good, not great. I saw Steely Dan and their last summer tour before Walter passed away (RIP Walter Becker) and this show was not as good. Fagen has aged a bit more, the sound system had some glitches, and the song selection was good, but missed several of our favorites. Also, opening was Snarky Puppy. They were better and more entertaining than I expected. However, last go around, Steve Winwood opened and was fantastic.
So, all in all, glad to spend a hot summer night outside with the crowd listening to good music. Having my son there was the best part of the experience...
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Steve Hackett and his band at the Celebrity theatre in Phoenix two weeks ago. Wonderful as usual. They really are the band that carries forth the memories of early and mid-period Genesis music, as well as Steve’s own music. It was very emotional.
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OMD last month in Washington DC---fantastic show!
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This show right here - Kristeen Young, my favorite musical artist, at DNA Lounge in San Francisco 3 weeks ago on April 29....
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Justin Hayward at Golden State Theater in Monterey. Great show and sound system is much better than Vina Robles!
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Hey jeroboam! Um, isn’t Grimaud’s artistry something one hears?
More generally, I’ve always thought that if the experience of music is improved by the visuals, the music itself is lacking. Seems to me paying attention to what you’re seeing is a way of not paying attention to what you’re hearing. Idiosyncratic view, I know.
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Last that anyone heard of was King Crimson at Anthem in DC back in September. This is rumored to have been their last ever US performance. It was off the charts. No words to describe fully. We were right in the sweet spot. CD of the performance being issued in a couple weeks. Can preorder on Amazon. Check it out.
Masks and proof of vaccination was required.
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Dylan last night at the Beacon, NYC, with my son. Oh yeah, so great!
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Houston Symphony, last night, with Helene Grimaud playing Ravel’s Concerto in G. Grimaud is fabulous, and from the second row, I had an exceedlingly clear vantage point to observe her artistry.
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Florida Orchestra, a week ago, playing Auerbach's Icarus, Prokofiev second violin concerto (Hadelich) and Pictures at an Exhibition. Sat in about the 8th row -- closer than I like, but not too too close. Great to hear live music again. The Auerbach was very interesting and made me want to hear it again. Hadelich is as good as they get and that's a fatastically beautifyul concerto. I became familiar with it from a Connoisseurs recording at least 40 years ago, Syeryng performance. And lo and behold, Hadelich plays an ex-Szeryng Guaraneri. May be I just heard it on teh very same instrument!!! And Pictures is Pictures: virtuosic and powerful music, showcasing the entire orchstral palette in the Ravel transcription. The Florida Orchstra is actually a quite fine ensemble -- and this coming from someone who spend their formative orchestra going years hearing Solti, Giulini and many others conduct the CSO..
I gotta say, this concert reminded me just how crappy my actually pretty good but fairly modest system is from the standpoint of The Absolute Sound. In fact, on that measure, lets face it, all of our systems, including super-megabucks ones, suck by that standard, at least as far as orchstral music is concerned. It's often remarked that real musicians are rarely audiophiles. That's why.
Richard
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City Morgue at Irving Plaza with my son. Reminded me of the thrash metal days back in the 80's. Looking forward to NYE at Brooklyn Bowl with Soulive.
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Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, and Holly Bowling
9/19/21 @ Red Rocks
Great music and atmosphere. The encore was a real treat; 27 minutes of pure jamming from amazing musicians.
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Shovels and Rope - Bare Bones Tour - tonight, 11/19/2021 at The Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, Ohio
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I saw The Tubes tonight - 10/28/2021 @ The Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati's Clifton neighborhood. This is the third time I've seen them - 1979, 1996-ish and 2021. GREAT, every time. Fee Waybill is 70 years old! Still does "Mondo Bondage" and "White Punks on Dope"! Scary moment tonight. The 8 ft tall Quay Lewd (fee on huge platform shoes) got off balance fell off the stage! Luckily, not injured and keep singing like it was part of the act.
BTW, for any fans, or non-fans, Roger Steen is a monster guitar player. Really fantastic.
Fun, fun music, from back in my day. Could have gone either way. Was really happy that they still got it and seemed to be having a good laugh at their own expense... |
Tonight, John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band. Music making on a very high level. A master songwriter and stylized vocalist, a band composed of virtuosos, on a level with Jazz musicians. The band changed gears and turned corners like a highly-tuned race car, far above the capabilities of almost all Rock bands. Of course, they are not a Rock band, but they played some passages with as much drive and torque as AC/DC.
And their ensemble playing was infused with dynamic contrasts rarely heard in live music, in any genre. All band members (Jerry of course on dobro, along with an electric guitarist, an upright bassist, and a fiddler) took numerous solos, all very musical (if you have to ask what that means, I can't help you ;-). I love when a soloist plays straight eights against swinging accompaniment, or visa versa. Which they all did. Very hip. |
Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Saturday 10/18/2021 - Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center - Cincinnati
Great artist, good show, mediocre venue
I'm a big fan of Elvis Costello fan and I've seen him a few times. This was the least-good show of his that I've seen. He was having a hard time with vocals and the setlist was not the greatest. The last half-hour was fantastic, as they always are, ending with "Pump it Up" and "What's So Funny 'bout Peace Love and Understanding". Charlie Sexton was a guest guitarist and was very good, but not featured.
The newly opened Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center was a disappointment. Boring, sterile environment. Felt like it was designed by corporate bean-counters only interested in separating you from your money. And don't even get me starting regarding Ticketmaster fees... |
The Cookers, a couple years ago. I couldn't ignore a chance to see/hear Billy Harper again.
Unfortunately, they were louder than most Rock bands I've heard and I had to retreat to the lobby for most of the performance.
I spoke to the soundman and he said the group had insisted on that volume at sound-check. Their hearing must be gone!
@br3098:
I recall with great affection my years in Santa Barbara-- '76 - '82. So many venues and so much wonderful music. Oh, for a time machine ! |
The wailin jennies, two nights ago at the uptown theater in Napa, ca. Great venue, enjoyable folky music, mediocre sound system. |
The Beach Boys, last night at Vina Robles. Fun show, enjoyable, but still poor sound system. Thought they would have improved it since The Moody Blues back in 2015, but NO... Not going back to VR. |
I saw Son Volt last night at The Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati's Clifton neighborhood. Great show! First time seeing Jay Farrar and the boys. Lots of talent there. And it was definitely a Rock show! |
The Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well at Levi’s Stadium June 27 and 28th 2015. Though it was billed as the last Grateful Dead shows between Santa Clara and Chicago, I wouldn’t call them the Grateful Dead without Jerry. I had never heard Trey Anastasio until the first night of Santa Clara and though I didn’t really find him objectionable, I started missing Jerry to the point where I had a knot in my stomach. All in all it was fun even though I got a severe sun burn and I looked like lobster man.
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King Crimson 9/7/2021 Mann Music Center Philadelphia Pa.
3rd time seeing this 3 drummer lineup and probably the best of those shows, the setlist emphasized their heavyier songs (Red, Starless, Cirkus, Epitath, Court of the Crimson King, 20th Century Schitzoid man etc) which was so much more impactful with the 3 drummers, diamond precision from the band, such a good show, I'm not worthy. |
I saw the Indigo Girls being interviewed a couple of years ago, and the one sounded like a warbling old lady from a nursing home...really. |
Indigo Girls in Steamboat Sprigs, CO in August.
First concert in a long time, won’t be going to any more very soon. |
4 nights of Dark Star Orchestra in Jamaica, January 2020.... |
Been a while.
Either Raven or napalm death. Or too long.
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I am very excited to be going to my first post pandemic (I guess we can't really say that yet) this Saturday to see and hear Squeeze here in AZ.
I've seen them more times than any other band, but it never gets old. |
Reviving this thread from the dead. So, in these challenging times, anyone seen any good shows? Or any shows at all?
I'm holding tickets for 3 different shows - Son Volt, Elvis Costello and Shovels and Rope, in Sept. 2021, October 2021 and November 2021. I'm wondering if they are all going to go off as planned or be cancelled. Also wandering if I'm going to go :~( |
Mark Chesnutt, January 25th, 2020 at Mo’s Place. Don’t laugh, the guy is a honky tonk wizard. Think I’m kidding? Do yourself a favor and stream the albums “Tradition Lives” and “Rollin’ With the Flow”
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Joshua Redman quartet. Awesome!!! |
Before that was JD Souther. |
Last week Roger Hogdson (aka Supertramp).
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Heading to Antibalas tonight! Here in Boise. One of my fave live bands. This will be concert #6 I think. |
